Star Wars - fully working!

[Spyridon]

Got this one shipped in via NAVL.  




And he came with a friend...


Not too much to do with this one as it is completely working.

I need to replace the overlay on the yoke as this one is from a Firefox.

I already picked up a new overlay from ThisOldGame.com

The neck board came loose during shipping and due to the angle of the monitor, it won't stay in place.  During a game it starts to slide off and the picture gets blurry.  

I need to pick up some silicone to hold it in place.  

[Aceldamor]

Wow!! That side art looks incredible!!

Nice work!

[Level42]

If possible, find some broken neck-board with a good connector and replace it.
The fact that it slides off also means that there is poor contact on the pins.

I'm not going to suggest the other option as I don't want to see you ruin your CRT...

O and two fabulous classics in one go is too much. Crate the AD and ship to the well known adress  

[Level42]

Hey, the WG6100 has the piggy-back over-voltage protection installed...nice.

[Spyridon]

Wow!! That side art looks incredible!!

Nice work!

The reds are a bit faded on the other side (I don't have a pic right now), but overall it's in great shape.

[Spyridon]

Crate the AD and ship to the well known adress  

Okay, here you go

[Spyridon]

Hey, the WG6100 has the piggy-back over-voltage protection installed...nice.

It also has the LV2000 mod already done (thanks Frizz)

[Level42]

You mean you haven't even shipped it yet ? Tsssssss !!!  



Looking again at the picture, that CRT connector is the "slide-on" type (compared to the pin/hole type) and they suck. I can't remember that the WG I worked on had it, but I probably forgot.
This connector kind is also used on Hantarex 900's, been working on those, and one is still "reasonably" connected, but the other.....a former owner tied some wire to the yoke and put some card-board behind it to keep it in place. (The 900 has a metal frame that allows that). Amazingly it actually works...
I would love to exchange the connectors and plastic part on the CRTs, but I bet finding those parts is pretty hard nowadays. A thrown-away TV could be your best bet.

[Spyridon]

Yeah, replacing it could be tough.  I'm going to just try and get a good solid connection and "weld" it in place with silicone.  It worked fine for FrizzleFried before he shipped it, so if I just get it held in place I should be fine.

[FrizzleFried]

Hey, the WG6100 has the piggy-back over-voltage protection installed...nice.

...and a Spaeth LV6100 low voltage mod...

EDIT: er...already discussed.

[FrizzleFried]

Wow!! That side art looks incredible!!

Nice work!

The reds are a bit faded on the other side (I don't have a pic right now), but overall it's in great shape.

Holy poo... I never even noticed that until you just pointed it out.  They're not a bit faded... they're damn near non-existent.  Glad there's not a ton of RED in the side art... sorry about that.

[Spyridon]

Hey, the WG6100 has the piggy-back over-voltage protection installed...nice.

...and a Spaeth LV6100 low voltage mod...

EDIT: er...already discussed.

Actually, I couldn't remember if it was the LV2000 or LV6100.  Guess it was Mark's kit.

And since Frizz chimed in, just want to give him props for a great packaging job and excellent job describing the cab details before I purchased.  

So when he sells that new Hard Drivin in a few months, you can be assured to get a quality deal!  

[Spyridon]

Wow!! That side art looks incredible!!

Nice work!

The reds are a bit faded on the other side (I don't have a pic right now), but overall it's in great shape.

Holy poo... I never even noticed that until you just pointed it out.  They're not a bit faded... they're damn near non-existent.  Glad there's not a ton of RED in the side art... sorry about that.

But you did provide pictures of it before I purchased. 

Found it:


Yeah, reds are worse than I remembered, but the left side is up against my Centipede and the right side is open for viewing.  Works fine!

[Spyridon]

and a larger right side shot for comparison

[Level42]

I can't believe that only the red faded that way. That has got to be a factory misprint. They simply forgot the red screening.

Don't tell me they didn't make mistakes like that. The plexi on my cockpit was all speckled with black paint on the inside....they were a bit over enthusiastic with the spraying in the factory.....funny that it's always stayed there (until I got it of course)...

[ChadTower]

I dig it without the red.  Cool.

[Level42]

T-t-t-t-t bad Frizz....selling cabs with loose neckboards and faulty artwork. We all know (from KLOV) how Frizz feels about poor quality artwork......


 


 

[RayB]

I can't believe that only the red faded that way. That has got to be a factory misprint. They simply forgot the red screening.

Don't tell me they didn't make mistakes like that. The plexi on my cockpit was all speckled with black paint on the inside....they were a bit over enthusiastic with the spraying in the factory.....funny that it's always stayed there (until I got it of course)...

No, red pigments are always sensitive to UV-caused fading. I don't know why... it just is.

I wish I had time to fix my SW...

[Level42]

Yes but there's not a single trace of any red....You'd expect it to at least have some "left over".

Red is always a problematic color. The wall in my game room, red cars, red-headed women.....(oops)...

[FrizzleFried]

T-t-t-t-t bad Frizz....selling cabs with loose neckboards and faulty artwork. We all know (from KLOV) how Frizz feels about poor quality artwork......


 


 

I blame NAVL.  ---daisies--- loosened up the neckboard AND stole the red from the one side of the artwork.  They must have packed it next to a UV machine or something...

[ChadTower]

They must have packed it next to a UV machine or something...

Damn tanning beds...

[TheShanMan]

Red is always a problematic color. The wall in my game room, red cars, red-headed women.....(oops)...

Hey, my wife resembles that remark!

[Spyridon]

Help!!!!! Two nights ago, I added some silicone to hold the neck board in place.  Today I turned the game on and nothing!  Game plays blind but nothing happening on the monitor.  I pulled the neck board a reseated it and no change.  Doesn't look like any probles with the neck board.  This happened one other time and I bumped the side of the cab (accidentally) and the monitor came on.  I figured it was just that the neck board was loose.  That does not seem to be the case this time.

What do I need to look at?  I know nothing about vector monitors, so you'll have to walk me through this one.

[Level42]

1) Don't panic. Vectors are the easiest monitors to work on and there's plenty of knowledge around
2) Do you have any neckglow ?
3) Any LED activity on the deflection board ?

The fact that the neckboard needed to be fixed already indicates poor contact (pressure) between the pins and the neckboard connector but there can be a LOT of problems on the PCB's as well

Next on the suspect list are ALL the connectors on the deflection board. Even if they look OK, there can be breaks between the islands where the pins are soldered and the track.  Testing them properly means measuring between the pin itself and the next soldering island that the track connects to (not to it's own soldering island).

[ChadTower]

First thing you need to know, even before Level42's advice is that you discharge a vector differently than a raster.  You cannot just short the anode to the frame.  You have to put a decent resistor in line and do it more slowly.  A quick search should pull up the proper technique.

[Spyridon]

First thing you need to know, even before Level42's advice is that you discharge a vector differently than a raster.  You cannot just short the anode to the frame.  You have to put a decent resistor in line and do it more slowly.  A quick search should pull up the proper technique.

Yep, I was already aware of that but thanks for the reminder.

[Spyridon]

1) Don't panic. Vectors are the easiest monitors to work on and there's plenty of knowledge around

Okay....calming down

2) Do you have any neckglow ?

Yes, I have neckglow

3) Any LED activity on the deflection board ?

Yes, the led is lit and both of the leds on the LV6100 are lit.

The fact that the neckboard needed to be fixed already indicates poor contact (pressure) between the pins and the neckboard connector but there can be a LOT of problems on the PCB's as well

Next on the suspect list are ALL the connectors on the deflection board. Even if they look OK, there can be breaks between the islands where the pins are soldered and the track.  Testing them properly means measuring between the pin itself and the next soldering island that the track connects to (not to it's own soldering island).

Haven't had time to look into any of the above yet. 

[Level42]

Neck-glow is a good sign that usually indicates there are no problems in the HV section.

The LEDs on the LV6100 should be lit, but I think (not sure) that the LED on the deflection board should be off. Lit means that the spot killer kicked in IIRC. That happened all the time when I was having the mentioned connector problems. Try some gentle wiggling (GENTLE !) on all the connectors on the deflection PCB. If you see the spot-killer LED go on/off you found the cause....

O and why would you need to discharge the CRT when you're going to test on it ? 

Discharging is only needed when you are going to be removing the anode cup. O and yes do not lick the area around the anode cup while working on the monitor 

[ChadTower]

O and why would you need to discharge the CRT when you're going to test on it ? 

All people who don't know exactly which things to not brush your hand against should discharge the tube.  Those shocks don't come only from the anode.

[Spyridon]

Neck-glow is a good sign that usually indicates there are no problems in the HV section.

The LEDs on the LV6100 should be lit, but I think (not sure) that the LED on the deflection board should be off. Lit means that the spot killer kicked in IIRC. That happened all the time when I was having the mentioned connector problems. Try some gentle wiggling (GENTLE !) on all the connectors on the deflection PCB. If you see the spot-killer LED go on/off you found the cause....

I will see if wiggling the connectors has any impact and let you know

O and why would you need to discharge the CRT when you're going to test on it ? 

Discharging is only needed when you are going to be removing the anode cup.

I wasn't planning on discharging the monitor (and even if I was, I couldn't because I don't currently have the proper tool to do it.

O and yes do not lick the area around the anode cup while working on the monitor 

but doesn't licking it provide better suction? 

[Spyridon]

I will see if wiggling the connectors has any impact and let you know

Tried this out.  No change.  The LED remained lit and no picture.

[Spyridon]

Also, I confirmed that the led 'ON' means the spot killer is actvie.  I also turned up the brightness and all I get is a dot in the center. 

I guess I should start by checking the fuses?  I know I need to pull the fuses to check them with the multimeter, but how do I check them? I've never done that with a meter before.

[HaRuMaN]

To check a fuse, set your multimeter to 'Continuity'.  Mine says "Open" if the fuse is bad, and beeps if it is continuous, i.e. good.  Yours may operate differently.

[Level42]

Uhm, we are all talking about doing this (investigating the monitor) while it's actually running right ? So yes, there's going to be 19,5 kV on the tube so........do not touch the cup (area). (And so there is no sense in first discharging the tube, and then turning it back on again so it's charged back up....).

I mean you should power up the game, then try to wiggle the connectors while it's running. I did that and got picture in a certain position of one connector and lost it when I left it alone again. Not fool proof, but worth a try.

Some things you will have to check when the monitor is running and yes there are all kinds of unhealthy voltages around but I guessed Spyridon is no noob who starts touching metal parts or pins of really big caps while it's running.

To wiggle the connectors try to touch the plastic case of the connector only.

My guess is you won't find much at the fuses as you have HV.

Read the WG6100 FAQ, that's the best walk-through you can get.
Basic things (even when wiggling doesn't indicate anything) check those connectors with a multimeter (WHILE THE MONITOR IS OFF !) with an Ohms measuring setting. Measure between the pin of the connector and the solder island of the part that the track runs to, NOT to the soldering island of the connector itself as this is probably good since the breaks develop around the soldering island.

Another basic thing is checking all the big transistors. Are the wires still OK, do the transistor holders still make good contact to the transistor pins etc.

[SirPeale]

To check a fuse, set your multimeter to 'Continuity'.  Mine says "Open" if the fuse is bad, and beeps if it is continuous, i.e. good.  Yours may operate differently.

It depends on the type of fuse.  This is okay on a fast blow fuse, but on a slow blow, you want to use resistance.  High resistance indicates that the fuse has been stressed, and should be replaced, as it won't pass enough current.  The same fuse may pass continuity, because all that does it check if it'll complete a circuit.

[Spyridon]

I mean you should power up the game, then try to wiggle the connectors while it's running. I did that and got picture in a certain position of one connector and lost it when I left it alone again. Not fool proof, but worth a try.

I did that but I didn't look at the screen.  Just the spot killer light.  It did not go out when I moved the connectors.

Some things you will have to check when the monitor is running and yes there are all kinds of unhealthy voltages around but I guessed Spyridon is no noob who starts touching metal parts or pins of really big caps while it's running.

Thanks for the vote of confidence .  I'm not great at this, but I know (for the most part) what not to touch.  However, sometimes I'm too cautious

To wiggle the connectors try to touch the plastic case of the connector only.

That's the way I did it.

My guess is you won't find much at the fuses as you have HV.

Read the WG6100 FAQ, that's the best walk-through you can get.
Basic things (even when wiggling doesn't indicate anything) check those connectors with a multimeter (WHILE THE MONITOR IS OFF !) with an Ohms measuring setting. Measure between the pin of the connector and the solder island of the part that the track runs to, NOT to the soldering island of the connector itself as this is probably good since the breaks develop around the soldering island.

Another basic thing is checking all the big transistors. Are the wires still OK, do the transistor holders still make good contact to the transistor pins etc.

To check the pins with a multimeter, I 'll have to get under the board.  I'm assuming I can detach and lift that board without discharging the monitor?

[Level42]

No need to look at the screen. If that LED is on, there's nothing on the screen.

Yes you can !

(mmm, sounds familiar).

Maybe check if large caps still have some load on them first. I maybe a bit more "careless" on this because I'm used to working with this stuff.

Look for the obvious things first: poor contacts an either the connectors or the transistors themselves.

[SirPeale]

If you want to look at the screen at the same time, a makeup mirror from a cosmetics case (like rouge) comes in handy.  I carry one in my toolbox.

[Level42]

No-no peale, we all know you carry it around with your lipstick and make-up............

[ChadTower]

If you want to look at the screen at the same time, a makeup mirror from a cosmetics case (like rouge) comes in handy.  I carry one in my toolbox.

Your arms must be longer than they appear... I certainly can't hold a mirror in front of a monitor and get my arm around the side of the cab with enough line of sight to safely adjust a monitor.  I don't see any mention that he has pulled the thing out of the cab.